When I think back on traveling with the Men and Women’s Volleyball Teams this summer, I will go back to our half-day walking tours that led us to Prague Castle, the otherworldly glow of the interior of the Basilica of San Marco in Venice, and the historical impact of the Colosseum in Rome.
During the travel study, there were also great games played by the student-athletes, especially the matches against the Cameroon National Team for the Women in Maribor, Slovenia, and the 5-set match in a packed gym outside of Pisa for the Men.
These are memories that last a lifetime, but there are also the small meals shared and the conversations on the bus, strolling, or just being together during a beautiful summer evening in Europe.
Yet, as an educator, I’m intensely interested in teaching. I think about how to create global citizens and better foster creative and critical thinkers. I also reflect on how to teach skills for life-long learners. On this last point, I have continued to work on the pedagogical theme of place-based learning. Below are the reactions of two students and their reaction to this approach.
“The term place-based learning was relatively new for me. When in Europe, many of the locations we went to were better understood because we were physically experiencing it, rather than seeing it from a PowerPoint or slideshow. Dr. Cremin did a great job asking the students ‘Where are we?’ or ‘Somebody tell me what they notice here,’ ” Nico Paula, Business Analytics, from Tampa, Florida, said.
“All of these moments helped us better understand what was before us. With these questions, I noticed that I was asking myself similar questions when I wasn’t walking around with my class. It helps me pay attention to details in buildings and landscapes that I otherwise wouldn’t have noticed,” she added.
“One example that comes to mind is St. Mark’s Basilica. When we walked in, Dr. Cremin was at the center of the Basilica pointing out features that would be important takeaways for us. Being there in person, I was able to see the light shining through the building. As he described it, it was made for people to feel like they were in a holy or heavenly space since there was a gentle light shining through the upper windows. If we had learned about that in class, we wouldn’t have been able to fully comprehend what it looked and felt like. Overall, place-based learning is helpful in better understanding your surroundings. From now on, I won’t only be looking around when at a historical location, but I’ll actively be asking myself questions,” Nico Paula continued.
“Visiting a location and seeing how it is intertwined with other buildings can provide a more powerful learning experience. In Prague, Carson Steinbach and I split from the group for a few minutes to see the library next to a church. Upon entering the library, I was captivated by the artwork and the age of the books. Then I began to think about why would a library be in this location. I considered that it was in the old city of Prague and next to a church,” said Cole Sweitzer, Freshman Finance major from Middleton, WI.
“The main skill I developed was when I arrived at a site, taking a step back and asking a few questions in order to analyze the historical landscape. Some of these questions are: why is this here, what significance does this city/town have, and how might this building have influenced the area around it. Even if some of these questions do not have answers, thinking about them during your visit may help you find answers,” he added.
I have been involved in place-based learning for my entire teaching career. I have found getting students out of the classroom engages them differently. There is the use of all of their senses, and the spirit of adventure. These were the early attractions.
Yet, as I reflect on my career in education, I’m most excited by the questions that the students raise. This is at the core of inquiry and applied learning. The examples above provide qualitative examples of the power of this educational approach.